Engine starter



Aug. 11, 1931. RICHARDS I 1,818,649

' ENGINE STARTER Filed Oct. 18, 1925 I INVENTOR Juuus H. RICHARDS na nrronmzn Patented Aug. 11, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS H. BICHARDQ, OF TORRING'ION, COhTNECTIGUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECLIPSE Ill-ACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ENGINE STARTER My invention relates to a starter for start- 7 ing nternal combustion .engines or the like and the same pertains more particularly to.

the drive or transmission located between the prime mover such as an electric motor and a member of the engineto be started such as the flywheel thereof. The object of my invention is to provide a comparatively simple but eflicient and. reliable drive of this character, whose advantages in construction and mode of operation will be apparent from the description hereinafter given. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a starting apparatus including, in

- and of the flywheel; Fig. 2 a plan View of the drive barrel detached; Fig. 3 a section on addition to the drive, a portion of the motor invention embodied in a drive of the ,out-

' board type and also of the direct drive type,

although it will be understood that the same is applicable to the inboard type and also to the indirect drive type.

- Referring to the embodiment of my invention as herein shown, the electric starting motor M is provided with an extended armature shaft 1 on which is loosely mounted a hollow screw shaft or sleeve 2'. This shaft is provided at a point adjacent the motor with an enlargement 1 to which is secured by the bolt- 29 a drive sleeve 11 which extends forwardly towards the screw shaft and has the particular shape illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. This sleeve has an out-turned marginal flange 12 which is provided with marginal extensions 27 and intervening recesses 28, in order to engage the longitudinal slots 19 of the barrel 3, with the result that thedrive sleeve will rotate the barrel but the latter will have spect thereto. In short, the barrel and sleeve are splined to each other.

Between the drive sleeve 11 and the screw shaft 2 there is interposed a' friction clutch comprising a set of clutch plates 5 having extensions 24 and intervening recesses 25 cooperating with the slots 19 of the barrel, and also a set'of plates 6 having inward extensions 26 and intervening recesses. 20 to cooperate with the longitudinal grooves 23 of the screw shaft. Thus the plates 5 are in ositive engagement with the barrel and ictional engagement with the sleeve 11 and the plates 6 are in positive engagement with the screw shaft. By reason of the slots 19, the

barrel has a relative longitudinal movement I with respect to the clutch and by reason ofthe grooves 23 the screw shaft also has a relative movement with respect to such clutch, which latter movement is against the tension of a coil spring 30 located within the bore of the sleeve 11 and between the enlargement 1" and the inner endof the screw shaft. The plates are held in frictional engagement by means. of the coil spring 4' located within the barrel and interposed between the clutch and the front end of the barrel. In order to hold the barrel in place and limit its outward movement, I provide locking rings or keys 13 hav: ing extensions and interven ng recesses to co- ,opera'te respectively with the slots 21 and those portions 22 of the barrel between the slots 19 as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8.

The driving member which is here in the form of a pimon 7 is'threaded u on the screw shaft 2 and is thereby mounte for longitudinal movement thereof into engagement with the flywheel teeth 10 and for rotary movement therewith after bein arrested in' its longitudinal movement by t e stop nut 8 at the outer end of the screw shaft. The armature shaft is provided with a bearin at its outer end in a bracket 9 which is attac ed to or forms an extension of the frame of the electric motor M.

Describing the operation and starting with the parts in their normal position shown in Fig. 1, when the motor is energized by the actuation of the switch (not shown) the shaft 1 1s rotated with the result that the sleeve 11,

friction clutch, barrel and screw sleeve are rotated, thereby causing the pinion 7 to ad: vance longitudlnally into mesh with the flywheel. When this longitudinal movement has been arrested by the stopnut 8, the pinion will partake of the rotary movement of its screw shaft and the flywheel will be rotated.

As soon as the engine starts on its own power, the pinion will be demeshed in the usual and well-known manner.

In the event that perfect mesh between the pinion and the flywheel teeth should not occur and such teeth should abut end to end, the pinion will be thereby arrestedin its longitudinal movement, but the screw action will continue with the result that such shaft will be moved longitudinallyto the right, Fig. 1, against the tension of the spring 30. This longitudinal movement is permited by reason of the length of the slots or grooves 23 in the screw shaft. Upon sufiiclent longitudinal movement of this screw shaft, the pinion will be caused to rotate slightly and thereby bring about perfect register between the teeth wherepon the spring 30'will restore such shaft to normal posltion and *the pinion will be screwed into full mesh by the rotation ofits shaft. a

The spring A: is of sufficient strength to cause the clutch to take somewhat more torque than the motor used is capable of supplying, but such spring will permit the clutch to slip if more torque is applied than the clutch is capable of transmitting. It will be understood that the pinion is threaded upon the screw shaft and is not connected with the barrel, but is normally enclosed thereby and free to move outwardly thereof andinwardly through the front opening 14 thereof.

40 I claim 1. An engine starter drive including a rotatable shaft, a driving member mounted thereon for longitudinal movement thereon and for rotary movement therewith, a driving shaft, a friction clutch operatively connect.- ed with said two shafts, and a barrel enclosing the clutch and the driving member when the latteris in its normal position but permitting such driving member to move longitudinally outwardly.

2. An engine starter drive including a rotatable screw shaft, a pinion threaded thereon for longitudinal movement thereon and for rotary movement therewith, a rotatable driving shaft, a friction'clutch operatively connected with the drivingshaft and splined to the screw shaft, and a barrel splinedto the clutch and enclosing the same and also enclosing the pinion when it is in its normal position.

3. An en 'ne starter drive including a rotatable driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted thereon and rotatable therewith but capable of independent rotary movement, a driving member mounted on the hollow shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary member mounted on the hollow shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a sleeve secured to the driving shaft, a spring located within the sleeve and bearing against one end of the hollow shaft to yieldingly hold it in normal position longitudinally, and a friction clutch interposed between such sleeve and the hollow shaft and splined to the latter;

-5. An engine starter drive including a rotatablescrew shaft, a pinion threaded thereon for longitudinal movement thereon and for rotary movement therewith, a rotatable driving shaft, a friction clutch operatively connected with the driving shaft and splined to the screw shaft, and a barrel splined to the clutch and enclosing the same and also enclosing the pinion when it is in its normal position, said barrel having a front openingv through which the pinion freely passes in its longitudinal movements. H

6. An engine starter drive including a re tatable driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted thereon for relative longitudinal movement, a driving member mounted on the hollow shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a sleeve secured to the driving shaft and spaced apart therefrom to form an annular space to receive the hollow shaft in its longitudinal movement,

and a drivin connection between the sleeve and hollow s aft.

7 An engine starter drive including a rotatable driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted thereon for relative longitudinal movement, a driving member mounted on the hollow shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a sleeve secured to the driving shaft and spaced apart therefrom to form an annular space to receive the hollowshaft in its longitudinal movement, a spring in such annular space tending to resist such longitudinal movement, and a driving connection between the sleeve and hollow shaft.

8. An engine starter drive including a ro-,

the hollow shaft in its longitudinal movement, and a friction clutch interposed between such sleeve and hollow shaft and operatively'connected therewith.

9. An engine starter drive including a rotatable driving shaft, a hollow shaftmounted thereon for relative longitudinal movement, a driving member mounted on the hollow shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a sleeve secured to the driving shaft and having an end flange, and a friction clutch interposed between such flange and the hollow shaft and oneratively connected with the latter in all longitudinal ositions of the latter.

10. An engine starter drive including a ro-' ta'table driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted thereon for relative longitudinal movement, a driving member mounted on the hollow go shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a member'fixed to said driving shaft and formin an abutment with respect to which said ho low shaft is movable, and a friction clutch operatively ,5 connecting said member and said hollow shaft, said clutch abutting against said member and permitting relative [longitudinal movement of said hollow shaft. a

11. An engine. starter drive including a r0- tatable driving shaft, a hollow shaft mounted thereon, a driving member mounted on the hollow shaft for longitudinal movement thereof and rotary movement therewith, a member fixed against lon 'tudinal displacement on said driving sha and forming an abutment, a friction clutch operatively connecting said member and said hollow shaft and constantly abutting against said member, said hollow shaft being longitudinally 40 movable with respect to said driving shaft,

clutch and abutment member, and means for normally positioning said hollow shaft at one end vof its range of longitudinal movement. it

JULIUS H. RIGHABDS. 

